Although more and more temporary migrant workers are becoming permanent residents in Canada, their experience with immigration opportunities remains under-studied. This study aims to fill that gap by examining the lived experience of migrant workers — in skilled and low-skilled occupations — who transition to permanent residence Click here to read the report

Sectoral employment has emerged as an innovative approach to workforce development in which unemployed and underskilled workers are provided with services and training needed to fill positions in sectors with high growth potential. This report examines the sectoral employment initiative sponsored and managed by the New York City (NYC) Department of Small Business Services […]

A region where all young people thrive, and where their talents and drive contribute to the regional economy. That’s our vision for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). But we are facing a harsh reality – as many as 83,000 youth in the GTHA are not in education, employment or training. While our […]

This report presents the business perspective on the steps the Government of Ontario can take as it evolves the province’s suite of training and employment services. Specifically, this report makes five recommendations that, if taken, will go a long way in ensuring employer-driven training and employment programs, such as the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, are a […]

Each year, governments in Canada spend roughly $20 billion combined on a variety of economic development, R&D, and innovation programs. While federal and provincial governments share responsibility for economic development, there is almost no formal coordination on how these programs and incentives are delivered. This Mowat Note takes lessons from other areas of shared responsibility to suggest a path forward for better alignment of these programs.

The Board’s annual Scorecard, produced with the generous support of Certified Professional Accountants of Ontario over the past six years, offers a comprehensive overview of how the Toronto region performs among 24 international areas on key measures of economic performance and liveability. Scorecard has become the backbone of our advocacy outreach, recognized for its superior economic data analysis of the performance of other city-regions.

Each year, governments in Canada spend roughly $20 billion combined on a variety of economic development, R&D, and innovation programs. While federal and provincial governments share responsibility for economic development, there is almost no formal coordination on how these programs and incentives are delivered. This Mowat Note takes lessons from other areas of shared responsibility to suggest a path forward for better alignment of these programs.

Shadow Economies: Economic Survival Strategies Of Toronto Immigrant Communities documents the realities of many immigrants who are stymied at the edge of the economic mainstream. The research conducted by the Toronto East Local Immigration Partnership and funded by the Wellesley Institute shows that many newcomers survive by participating in parallel economic activities, often facing exploitation in substandard work conditions, even in established businesses.

The Community Foundation partners with many researchers to produce the Toronto’s Vital Signs Report. The Report identifies progress we should be proud of and challenges that need to be addressed. It is a consolidated snapshot of the trends and issues affecting the quality of life in our city and each of the interconnected issue areas is critical to the well-being of Toronto and its residents.

In Untapped potential: Creating a better future for service workers, the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity partners with the Martin Prosperity Institute to examine job trends within Toronto’s largest employment sector: routine-service jobs. These occupations, including retail staff, food service workers, cleaners, taxi drivers, secretaries, and others, account for 45 percent of Toronto’s workforce and have the worst employment conditions of all occupations. What emerges is a clearer picture of who is being affected, and policy recommendations that can help.

The report, The State of Industrial R&D in Canada, provides an in-depth analysis of research and development activities in Canadian industries and is one of the most detailed and systematic studies of the state of IR&D ever undertaken in Canada.

While many reports have documented Canada’s historical weakness in industrial R&D, the Panel’s report sheds new light on the subject by examining areas of strength and how these strengths are distributed regionally. The report also examines the alignment of IR&D strengths with Canada’s areas of excellence in science and technology research and economic performance. Barriers and gaps that limit the translation of Canada’s S&T strengths into innovation and wealth creation are also identified.

The paper is for public funders — municipal, provincial and federal — and those in the non-profit sector who share an interest in how money from public treasuries flows to approximately 165,000 non-profit organizations across the country. In addition to providing an in-depth overview of public funding practices, the paper is also an insightful examination of what it means to fund well.

This research paper discusses the intertwining of an emerging relational configuration of space and the pursuit of post-industrial development, by analyzing the formation of an organizational identity. The case of NewcastleGateshead (UK) is interpreted as a brand emerging from urban collective strategy-making which has involved two partner cities, thus crossing administrative borders. By suggesting the importance of recognizing the emergence of “branded relational spaces”, research results stress the active role of a collective construction of meanings and their communication in the creation of relational spatial entities. This provides an opportunity to reflect on the extent to which branding, here interpreted as collective strategy-making, is a process going beyond mere communication and fostering an institutionalization of the branded space, thus influencing the way in which local development is spatially and strategically conceived.

The report identifies five key areas for action: going global; driving productivity growth; unleashing innovation and entrepreneurship; capitalizing on strength in talent and delivering smart, efficient government. Taken together, strong action on these economic priorities will propel Ontario’s businesses to the forefront of the new global economy. The Council believes that the province can improve its performance in each area, but that it will require stronger leadership and cooperation among all economic players – public and private sector alike – and a sustained commitment by Ontario firms to take risks, invest and enter the global stage.